SFR Losing Interest

[clarkman]

If you don’t lose sleep the night before an activity, you probably aren’t that into it.

yyyeeeeeeaaaaaahhhhh....welcome to every single night/morning before my Faux Musky trips....

I would hate it if it were any other way...

 

[DryFly82]

It’s the only thing in my adult life that makes me feel like x-mas morning when I was 6. Clear indicator to me I am spending my free time wisely.

I'm in the same boat. Nothing beats the anticipation of a good day of fishing. Especially when it comes to my annual BC trip. Up between 4 or 5am and hike a mile to the lake...mile back for breakfast...another mile back to the lake and fish all day...mile back for dinner...mile back to the lake for the evening and fish until 10:30pm or whenever it's too dark to see and then a mile back to camp via flashlight. After the first few days of that schedule I'm finally able to sleep until breakfast.

 

[Matt B]

I would hate it if it were any other way...

I don’t know, if I could not sacrifice the enjoyment and excitement, I would do with a solid night of restful sleep so I can properly kick ass the next day. Or at least not get drowsy during a lull between tuna stops.

 

[Fourbtgait]

Interesting reading everyone’s replies/comments to the OP.
Everyone is different, different drive, outlook, things going on in their life.
Sometimes life itself overrides a hobby, one finds that actual life is more important than a hobby.
Only he, or us, can make that decision, not someone else’s words.
I can understand what he’s saying, but more importantly why. It’s not the end of the world to change directions, it happens.
Don’t feel bad about disappointing someone here, lead your life how you feel you need. Your family comes first. And you may find it even more pleasurable to fish once or twice rather than constantly. That can provide a bigger reward than constantly fishing, going after grand slams or bragging rights.
Often the best days fishing is when you simply stand in the water, smiling in wonderment at the natural world around you.
Moments like that, who cares about actually catching anything.

 

[CosmoKramer]

I’m currently in my second season and struggling to find time to fish between all my responsibilities at home. I started it to get some recharge time away from the kids... The learning curve is steep, and since I haven't found anyone to go with yet, tackling it solo makes it even more of a challenge.
Are you kids not interested in fishing? A fishing trip with them?

 

[Evan B]

I’m currently in my second season and struggling to find time to fish between all my responsibilities at home. I started it to get some recharge time away from the kids... The learning curve is steep, and since I haven't found anyone to go with yet, tackling it solo makes it even more of a challenge.
Are you kids not interested in fishing? A fishing trip with them?

Yeah I always wonder how guys who are just starting would do it in the PNW where the learning curve tends to be a lot steeper than a lot of other regions. Our waters, I'd say all of them, are a tough nut to crack, especially on a fly rod. Especially tough if you don't have the time or resources to make 3-4hr road trips to one of the more favorable destinations.

It's one of the things I really like here in the greater Portland area is closer proximity to good fishing. I can do quite a bit within 1hr, especially on the Columbia once you figure out what to do there. Not necessarily trout fishing, which I personally don't really do, but quite a bit of other stuff. Trout fishing exists within 2hrs, though.

I really think proximity to fisheries with low barriers to entry is essential to keeping people into it. I think this is also where a good fly shop can be worth their weight in gold.

 

[CosmoKramer]

Yeah I always wonder how guys who are just starting would do it in the PNW where the learning curve tends to be a lot steeper than a lot of other regions. Our waters, I'd say all of them, are a tough nut to crack, especially on a fly rod. Especially tough if you don't have the time or resources to make 3-4hr road trips to one of the more favorable destinations.

It's one of the things I really like here in the greater Portland area is closer proximity to good fishing. I can do quite a bit within 1hr, especially on the Columbia once you figure out what to do there. Not necessarily trout fishing, which I personally don't really do, but quite a bit of other stuff. Trout fishing exists within 2hrs, though.

I really think proximity to fisheries with low barriers to entry is essential to keeping people into it. I think this is also where a good fly shop can be worth their weight in gold.

Honestly, river fishing in WA has been a huge letdown. My trip to Montana last year to fish the Madison and YSNP with my friend was a total highlight, especially since the Yakima and Naches haven't panned out for me. The quality of fly shops was night and day, too. I then tried saltwater for SRC with a guide and caught small silvers instead. While that was great for my casting, it wasn't the target. Even catching a lake 17" rainbow in Eastern WA recently felt like more 'work' than relaxation because the float tube and indicator rigging require too much setup. I’m still searching for a local niche that bridges the gap between those Montana trips. At this point, I’m still thinking of Montana as my main freshwater fishing and saltwater as my main staple here in between.

 

[Matt B]

I’m currently in my second season and struggling to find time to fish between all my responsibilities at home. I started it to get some recharge time away from the kids... The learning curve is steep, and since I haven't found anyone to go with yet, tackling it solo makes it even more of a challenge.
Are you kids not interested in fishing? A fishing trip with them?

Cosmo, welcome. There’s a member here you should probably meet. Paging @Vandelay Industries
I do think it would probably flatten the curve and maybe help things along to find a fishing partner. If you like to fish stream trout, take heart, as the season for catching those locally is about to begin in earnest and it makes finding and catching them much more productive.

 

[Fourbtgait]

Honestly, river fishing in WA has been a huge letdown. My trip to Montana last year to fish the Madison and YSNP with my friend was a total highlight, especially since the Yakima and Naches haven't panned out for me. The quality of fly shops was night and day, too. I then tried saltwater for SRC with a guide and caught small silvers instead. While that was great for my casting, it wasn't the target. Even catching a lake 17" rainbow in Eastern WA recently felt like more 'work' than relaxation because the float tube and indicator rigging require too much setup. I’m still searching for a local niche that bridges the gap between those Montana trips. At this point, I’m still thinking of Montana as my main freshwater fishing and saltwater as my main staple here in between.

Idaho.

 

[jasmillo]

Yeah I always wonder how guys who are just starting would do it in the PNW where the learning curve tends to be a lot steeper than a lot of other regions. Our waters, I'd say all of them, are a tough nut to crack, especially on a fly rod. Especially tough if you don't have the time or resources to make 3-4hr road trips to one of the more favorable destinations.

It's one of the things I really like here in the greater Portland area is closer proximity to good fishing. I can do quite a bit within 1hr, especially on the Columbia once you figure out what to do there. Not necessarily trout fishing, which I personally don't really do, but quite a bit of other stuff. Trout fishing exists within 2hrs, though.

I really think proximity to fisheries with low barriers to entry is essential to keeping people into it. I think this is also where a good fly shop can be worth their weight in gold.

I agree. There are not a lot of flick it out there and have some success types of fly fishing in places like western WA. Buy a grab and go setup from the local retailer and a few dries and nymphs and have at it type spots that are close. At least where the success rate is high for a beginners. Beach fishing requires at least semi competent casting and a commitment to learning tides and covering a lot of water/beaches before uncovering patterns for consistent success. I also think it requires more specialized lines, stripping baskets, flies, etc. that beginners are not willing to invest in early. Obviously same for the big rivers and the steelhead/salmon targets in them. Smaller blue lines hold fish but not at a level that would drive tons of early success to get you hooked. A beginner could probably have some early success on lakes letting some line out and back trolling for stockers, but even that requires investment in a tube/some type of watercraft and other accoutrements.

It’s a really good question: How the hell did all you native PNW’s become hardcore fly guys !

 

[CosmoKramer]

Idaho.

I had considered this but know nothing about fishing in Idaho. Are you talking about Northern Idaho? I'm based in Tacoma and could manage overnight trips there. Since I'm totally unfamiliar with Idaho, I'd likely hire a guide for walk & wade. Any recommendations on shops?

 

[Evan B]

I had considered this but know nothing about fishing in Idaho. Are you talking about Northern Idaho? I'm based in Tacoma and could manage overnight trips there. Since I'm totally unfamiliar with Idaho, I'd likely hire a guide for walk & wade. Any recommendations on shops?

Quite a bit closer, and not at all my cup of tea, personally, but I'm in the minority: maybe run down and give the (Oregon) Deschutes a shot. It's a very good trout fishery and very do-able without a boat.

 

[VMP]

Sorry, I could not resist the May the fourth reference. Perhaps you could try the Power of the Dark side, try gear fishing for targets you don't fly fish for, squid, bottomfish, crabs, kastmasters for stocker trout with your kids. We all have taken different routes, detours and pit stops in our fishing careers. I like the following excerpt I found a while back about why we fish, a bit cheesy perhaps, but I think there is some truth to it. If you need a break from fishing, take it. The bug will probably bite again sometime, or not, all good.

 

[Evan B]

Perhaps you could try the Power of the Dark side, try gear fishing for.......

I still fly fish, but gear fishing is probably 75%-90% of what I do (depending on the year). One thing I've learned about myself is that I do enjoy fishing, but I REALLY enjoy getting out on a boat. So being flexible in how I approach fisheries opens up a ton of opportunity for me.

 

[Scottybs]

I’m not as keen on fishing as I used to be. Not sure what to think about it.

I took my dad on a week long trip during November. The fishing was great, but 2 days into the trip I missed my kids. That was a bummer for the rest of the trip. I think I might be done with fishing trips. I realized I would rather go on a family vacation where I can sneak off for a couple of days, but spend the rest of the trip with my family.

I went fishing for the first time this year yesterday. I fished Snoqualmie. I ran into 5 other people fishing, throughout the day. I caught nothing. It sucked. I’m losing my skills as quickly as I gained them. When I got home, I found myself wishing I had stayed home and made progress on cleaning out the garage instead.

I’ve been fly fishing on and off for 28 years. Never really lost my mojo like this before. Anyone else had a similar experience?

No… I still love fishing… fortunately with my occupation I can bring a rod and hunt for bonefish, so that keeps me in the game. That being said with expanded angling closures/ access drama in Washington, I seek out opportunities in other states as much as I can.

 

[Evan B]

Yeah, no way to sugarcoat it - Washington is tough and getting tougher, especially west of the Cascades. I moved south to Oregon in 2016 and feel like I got out just in time. Not sure what my fishing would look like currently if I remained up there. Probably very different than it does now.

 

[RCF]

Idaho.

Idaho has some great fishing. Panhandle, mountains, winter time ski resorts, and arid places. Add to that lakes with huge fish and National Parks. I find it more diverse and less crowded than MT.

 

[Evan B]

I do want to add - this is also a big reason why we encourage discussion on the other things we do here. We can't all fish all the time, but we can still share our other experiences on this forum just the same. Keeps the forum more interesting and may help others find something new they enjoy and gives them a place to talk/learn about it.

Fishing is only one of the many things I do outside of work. But I'd rather discuss those things on this forum than just about anywhere else online.

 

[jaredoconnor]

My kids are young, so fishing with them isn’t really viable yet. I’m hoping my oldest can snag some panfish off Zak’s dock some time this summer though.

I appreciate the wisdom in these replies. I never thought I’d get bored fishing locally, because where I grew up was basically a desert and moving here was a massive upgrade. However, I think I am done with the local options now. I think that is the real issue here. I probably won’t bother fishing unless I have the time to venture further.

This reminds me of a chat with Long Rod years ago about the forks. He said he hadn’t fished there in years and that he wants ADVENTURE. I couldn’t understand it. Now I think I’m of the same mindset.

 

[Dez]

My kids are young, so fishing with them isn’t really viable yet. I’m hoping my oldest can snag some panfish off Zak’s dock some time this summer though.

I appreciate the wisdom in these replies. I never thought I’d get bored fishing locally, because where I grew up was basically a desert and moving here was a massive upgrade. However, I think I am done with the local options now. I probably won’t bother fishing unless I have the time to venture further.

This year will be my daughter's third year fishing (she's 12) and I've already told her she's hooking her own damn worm from now on I've tried to get her to fly fish but she's already seen how successful it is to catch bluegill all day long with a worm.